Sheringham says Rashford must answer two questions before any United return

Teddy Sheringham has outlined the conditions under which Marcus Rashford could feasibly return to Manchester United, saying the 28-year-old forward must explain his motives and demonstrate he can respond to new manager Michael Carrick.

Rashford has been on loan at Barcelona this season and has impressed under Hansi Flick, prompting the La Liga club to exercise an option to buy. Financial constraints at the Catalan club, however, mean Barcelona are exploring the possibility of extending the loan for a further season rather than completing a permanent transfer. United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is understood to prefer a full sale.

Sheringham, speaking to Boyle Sports, identified two central questions Rashford would need to answer. “If he did want to come back he could explain his motives over the last couple of years,” the former United striker said. “Did he have a problem with Ruben Amorim? Or does he have a problem with the football club? If he’s got no problem with the club, and it was all due to the previous manager, that’s an issue that can be solved and all can be forgiven.”

But Sheringham was quick to add that Rashford’s performances in his final season at Old Trafford also need addressing. “Some of the performances he was putting in during his last season weren’t great. He’d need to turn things around and win people back again.”

The second question, in Sheringham’s view, rests with Carrick rather than Rashford. The newly appointed United manager played alongside Rashford during his own time at the club and knows the forward well, but Sheringham is uncertain whether that familiarity would be an advantage. “Michael Carrick has to make the decision on whether he knows Rashford well enough to get the best out of him or whether bringing him back would put them both back in the same scenario,” he said.

Sheringham ultimately expressed scepticism about a reunion, warning that the scrutiny would be relentless. “I think Rashford coming back to United would be a bad move for all concerned because the pressure would be on him and the team at every moment.”

On Rashford’s international prospects ahead of this summer’s World Cup, Sheringham pointed to a long-standing uncertainty over the forward’s best position. “He’s got flashes of world-class quality with the things he does in a game,” he said, “but we only see flashes.” That inconsistency, Sheringham suggested, remains the defining question around Rashford regardless of which club he represents next season.